Purpose of an Executive Resume Summary

I was working with a Product Designer who didn’t have a summary on her resume. Once we added one, her experience and focus became clearer. I’ve seen this a lot lately where people either skip the summary entirely or fill it with vague lines like “strong communicator” or “team player.” That doesn’t show us what you actually do. Your summary is your first impression. It should help someone quickly understand: - Who you are as a professional - What kind of work you do - The industries or types of problems you’ve worked on - What you bring to the table Here’s the example we landed on for her: Senior Product Designer with 7+ years of experience driving end-to-end UX for B2B SaaS and fintech products. Deep expertise in 0→1 product launches, complex user flows, and building scalable design systems from scratch. Skilled in Figma, user research, and cross-functional collaboration with product and engineering teams. Why it works: It’s specific and includes relevant keywords (B2B SaaS, fintech, 0→1). It highlights real skills and strengths, not fluff. If you’re writing (or rewriting) your summary, keep it simple: - Lead with your title and years of experience - Mention the industry or product type you’ve worked on - Highlight a few core strengths or skills - Keep it short 2–3 sentences max This might seem like a small section but it’s actually one of the most important parts of your resume. Why? Because it’s often the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager reads. In a matter of seconds, they’re deciding whether to keep reading or move on. A clear, focused summary can make all the difference in getting their attention and getting the interview.

Let’s talk about your resume summary. I’ve seen countless resumes start with “I’m a dedicated, detail-oriented professional looking to join a fast-paced organization…” Sound familiar? Here’s the thing: Your resume summary is prime real estate, and we recruiters are looking for impact, not just adjectives. Instead of relying on overused phrases, make your summary accomplishment driven. Focus on what sets you apart and highlight the results you’ve delivered in your career. 🔑 What to include: - "Drove a 25% increase in client retention by revamping the customer service process." - "Managed a $2M budget, delivering projects on time and under cost projections." - "Implemented a new software tool that reduced team workload by 15%." - "Increased sales by 35% in Q1 by implementing a new CRM system" - "Led a team of 10 in delivering a project that saved $500K annually" - "Published 20+ articles on emerging tech, with over 100K views" Your summary should tell the reader what you’ve done and how it made a difference. Hiring managers don’t just want to know that you’re “motivated” or “hard-working.” They want to know how you’ve applied those qualities to get results - and how you’ll do the same for them. So before you use words like “team player” or "detail-oriented" again, take a step back. What specific achievements have you made that show off your skills? Let your summary reflect those accomplishments. #ResumeTips #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #StandOut #Resumes #RecruiterTips #RecruiterInsights #Jobs #Hiring #Tips #Jobseekers #JobSearchAdvice

When I write an executive resume, I aim to accomplish 2 goals: #1 Give the reader the sense the candidate appears well-suited for a role. #2 Intrigue them to want to read more when they have more time. There are 2 primary scenarios where the power of details can make all the difference in spelling out value and achieving these goals. #1 Details that Show Accomplishments, Not Responsibilities. Every job has a basic set of responsibilities. A quick Google search can tell you what they are and most job postings do a decent job of outlining them. A resume that focuses on outlining these responsibilities tells the reader you can perform these tasks – but offers no sense of how well you can do the job. This is where details that showcase accomplishments can save the day. Here’s an example that showcases how added details to an executive resume can help paint a fuller picture: BEFORE Managed all the aspects of product development, projects and program management, and quality management. Set up an offshore development team and recruited engineers, developed training plans and established a successful delivery model. AFTER * Revitalized 150-member offshore organization struggling with reputation for underperformance. * Revamped team that emerged with reputation for quality and productivity through structure and coaching and by establishing KPIs to ensure accountability. * Returned bloated and delayed product project back on track for key account – a Pharma 50 organization – by repairing stakeholder relationships and leading a delivery roadmap resulting in a timely and on-budget pilot go-live. #2 Details Couched with Context that Weave in Metrics The phrase “numbers speak louder than words” often rings true when it comes to resume reading. It is especially true when these numbers also include some context. Here’s what I mean: BEFORE * Responsible for an annual sales quota. * Grew revenues 20%. AFTER * Reversed 2 years of sales decline to grow revenues 20% in 12 months by analyzing CRM data that uncovered untapped market niche. When a bullet provides just enough detail to show AND tell how you put your skills to good use – it is much more likely to resonate. #resumewriting

When I was CEO, I never read more than the first few sentences of someone's resume. Not because I was lazy, but because I knew the rest would largely be BS. 🙄 Seasoned executive 🙄 Proven leader 🙄 Matrixed environment 🙄 Blah blah blah That tells me nothing about you. You don't stand out. It doesn't show how you'll make our future better. Instead of littering your resume with BS, focus on re-writing just a few sentences. The top "Summary" holds most of the weight, and is where you can easily stand out from the pack. ✅ Write in first person ✅ State your superpower (hint: it's usually a juxtaposition between two things) ✅ Tell them how you’ll help them Here are two examples: 1️⃣ Before (BS): Seasoned executive with a proven track record of driving profitability and continual improvement. Diverse range of expertise including strategic and business planning, complex program oversight and implementation, business integrity, organizational effectiveness, and the ability to effectively collaborate at all levels of an organization to ensure results are delivered on time, on budget, and satisfy stakeholder needs. (I bet you couldn't even HANDLE reading that whole thing - so why would a hiring manager?!) 2️⃣ After (Authentic): I get a huge rush when I’m asked to lead an organization through the most stressful of financial and business challenges. I have a unique ability to step-up and rearrange the puzzle pieces in a way that lands the organization in a place that is better than before. I thrive on ensuring that everything operates smoothly, so you can continue to focus on growing the business and meeting your financial goals.    🤷🏽♀️And if you're like, "What about the ATS system?" Sure, put some of that other searchable stuff below the summary. It's like writing a blog. Do you need SEO terms? Yep Should you litter them everywhere? Nope Ultimately, I want you to remember this: Trying to impress makes you sound like the rest. I'm curious: What unique thing have you done to land the job you wanted? _____ Hi👋🏽 I'm Erin, and I'm obsessed with helping people and companies stand out by making ridiculously simple changes. Follow me here for more tips. Or, if you're a leader and want a creative hand to quickly make your company stand out from the pack, shoot me a message; we can kick some ideas around. 🤯Thanks to Tom Pestridge for this killer quote. Follow him here for more inspiration and advice.